Read Online True Bliss by Stella Cameron - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Stella Cameron
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thirty-five. Not so bad, huh?"
"This is too much."
"I know. But we're going to work our way through it. I used to love how fragile you felt in my arms. Made me feel protective. Funny, I never wanted that with anyone else—not before or since."
"You're"—she needed to show him she wasn't still an innocent kid—"You're aroused."
He gave a short, hard laugh. "That obvious, huh? Yeah, I am. All it took was one look at you. Does that offend you?"
She tried to appear unmoved. "It happens."
He was silent for a moment. "Not to me. Not like this. But I guess you have the same effect on every man."
Bliss tugged on the horrible shirt. "I haven't noticed."
"Zoya showed me the press release."
Zoya. Bliss glanced at him. "Press release?" Zoya was the model, the gorgeous creature who was the figurehead for Sebastian's modeling and talent agencies.
"The most recent of a number that have appeared, evidently. About WOT Women of Today."
"Oh, that."
"You never used to be a joiner."
"I'm not a joiner now." How would they handle it? How would they deal with everything that had happened since they were last together? Could they?
"The release says you're the chairperson for the action committee that intends to make sure Raptor Vision never opens its doors in Bellevue."
Stillness enveloped Bliss. She studied Sebastian. He was serious now—business serious. "How long have you been back?"
"A couple of weeks. I've bought a house in Medina."
Almost all routes to Hole Point ran through Medina. "So we're neighbors." And despite his urgent need to see her again, he'd waited two weeks to come here.
Sebastian's slashing brows drew together. "Five minutes from your gate to mine. That's all hogwash, isn't it? The stuff in the papers? You won't be leading a bunch of bra burners in a revolt against me?"
She picked up a glass, filled it with water from the faucet, and drank. Her thoughts jumbled. Sebastian had never been conniving. He wouldn't show up here, kiss her silly, then use
her reaction to that kiss to make her back off from throwing any obstacles in his professional path.
He hadn't been conniving? Had he?
She'd never believed he was a rapist, but he hadn't contacted her to deny it—and he'd left town with Crystal, the girl he was reported to have raped and made pregnant.
"Hey, Bliss?" She heard him get up and approach. He set an elbow on the counter beside the sink and looked into her face. "Chilly?" He gave a little laugh.
Through the windows, afternoon sunlight shimmered over Lake Washington. Bliss stared at it. She'd come to love her little estate on the water, her haven with the quiet souls who came to find a peaceful place to work.
"They got it wrong, didn't they? Someone printed your name by mistake because you used to belong to this ball-breakers' group—when you were teaching at the university, maybe?"
Bliss looked at him and felt again the force of disbelief that he was here, that he stood so close he almost touched her. He had touched her. How he'd touched her. He'd kissed her and she'd kissed him back. They'd held each other.
"Bliss, say something." Hardness replaced question in his eyes, in the set of his commanding features. "I can't believe you'd be small-minded enough to let these people use you. Not out of spite, or something."
"You . . . Sebastian, you came here because of a press release, didn't you?"
"I was coming here before I saw the press release."
"Were you?"
"Yes."
"Why should I believe you?"
He stood up sharply. "Because I don't tell lies, dammit."
"Don't you?" Bliss drew herself up, too. "Forgive me if I feel like laughing at that statement."
"I'm damned." He stepped away, shoved his hands in his pockets, turned away, then back again. "I don't know what to
say to you. You are chairing the silly little committee. You are trying to get back at me. Shit!"
Bliss put the glass in the sink.
"Oh, I'm sorry," he said. "I forgot. You don't like bad language, do you?"
"No."
"Forgive me. I'll
"This is too much."
"I know. But we're going to work our way through it. I used to love how fragile you felt in my arms. Made me feel protective. Funny, I never wanted that with anyone else—not before or since."
"You're"—she needed to show him she wasn't still an innocent kid—"You're aroused."
He gave a short, hard laugh. "That obvious, huh? Yeah, I am. All it took was one look at you. Does that offend you?"
She tried to appear unmoved. "It happens."
He was silent for a moment. "Not to me. Not like this. But I guess you have the same effect on every man."
Bliss tugged on the horrible shirt. "I haven't noticed."
"Zoya showed me the press release."
Zoya. Bliss glanced at him. "Press release?" Zoya was the model, the gorgeous creature who was the figurehead for Sebastian's modeling and talent agencies.
"The most recent of a number that have appeared, evidently. About WOT Women of Today."
"Oh, that."
"You never used to be a joiner."
"I'm not a joiner now." How would they handle it? How would they deal with everything that had happened since they were last together? Could they?
"The release says you're the chairperson for the action committee that intends to make sure Raptor Vision never opens its doors in Bellevue."
Stillness enveloped Bliss. She studied Sebastian. He was serious now—business serious. "How long have you been back?"
"A couple of weeks. I've bought a house in Medina."
Almost all routes to Hole Point ran through Medina. "So we're neighbors." And despite his urgent need to see her again, he'd waited two weeks to come here.
Sebastian's slashing brows drew together. "Five minutes from your gate to mine. That's all hogwash, isn't it? The stuff in the papers? You won't be leading a bunch of bra burners in a revolt against me?"
She picked up a glass, filled it with water from the faucet, and drank. Her thoughts jumbled. Sebastian had never been conniving. He wouldn't show up here, kiss her silly, then use
her reaction to that kiss to make her back off from throwing any obstacles in his professional path.
He hadn't been conniving? Had he?
She'd never believed he was a rapist, but he hadn't contacted her to deny it—and he'd left town with Crystal, the girl he was reported to have raped and made pregnant.
"Hey, Bliss?" She heard him get up and approach. He set an elbow on the counter beside the sink and looked into her face. "Chilly?" He gave a little laugh.
Through the windows, afternoon sunlight shimmered over Lake Washington. Bliss stared at it. She'd come to love her little estate on the water, her haven with the quiet souls who came to find a peaceful place to work.
"They got it wrong, didn't they? Someone printed your name by mistake because you used to belong to this ball-breakers' group—when you were teaching at the university, maybe?"
Bliss looked at him and felt again the force of disbelief that he was here, that he stood so close he almost touched her. He had touched her. How he'd touched her. He'd kissed her and she'd kissed him back. They'd held each other.
"Bliss, say something." Hardness replaced question in his eyes, in the set of his commanding features. "I can't believe you'd be small-minded enough to let these people use you. Not out of spite, or something."
"You . . . Sebastian, you came here because of a press release, didn't you?"
"I was coming here before I saw the press release."
"Were you?"
"Yes."
"Why should I believe you?"
He stood up sharply. "Because I don't tell lies, dammit."
"Don't you?" Bliss drew herself up, too. "Forgive me if I feel like laughing at that statement."
"I'm damned." He stepped away, shoved his hands in his pockets, turned away, then back again. "I don't know what to
say to you. You are chairing the silly little committee. You are trying to get back at me. Shit!"
Bliss put the glass in the sink.
"Oh, I'm sorry," he said. "I forgot. You don't like bad language, do you?"
"No."
"Forgive me. I'll
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